MetLife Denies Accidental Death Benefits Under Exclusion For Death Caused Or Contributed To By Illness Or Sickness.

We are seeing more and more claims for Accidental Death benefits denied under an exclusion for “loss” caused by “illness or the treatment thereof.” Whenever an insured involved in an accident is taking prescription medication, the insurer argues that the accident was, in part, caused by the medication side effects. Likewise, when an insured has an illness that weakens his/her ability to recover from a physical trauma, the insurer argues that the illness contributes to the death and thus is excluded under the policy.

These arguments taken to their extreme would result in almost all Accidental Death Claims being denied unless the insured was in absolutely perfect health at the time of his/her accidental death. Stennett & Casino have been able to overcome these defenses in multiple ways depending on the specific facts and policy involved.

As an example we recently had a young woman contact us whose husband died after falling in the kitchen and hitting his head resulting in a skull fracture and subdural hematoma. MetLife denied her claim for Accidental Death benefits under the “illness exclusion” because the death certificate indicated that a contributing cause of death was a “seizure disorder.” The claim was that her husband fell because of a seizure. However, a close review of the medical records reflected that her husband did not suffer from a seizure disorder but rather experienced a seizure after hitting his head. Additionally, even if his fall had been caused by a seizure, the seizure was not the cause of death. The cause of death was the skull fracture and subdural hematoma.

Stennett & Casino convinced MetLife to pay the full amount of policy benefits plus interest without having to file suit.

Categories

Mrs. Casino is one of the great ones. She’s vey knowledgeable and skilled in her craft. We were comfortable with allowing her to take over and win a huge decision. The way she handles the big insurance corporation is like something you see on TV.

Great information

This gentlemen went in more detail. I felt he had a better understanding of this type of issue. I think if I need someone to represent me this would the guy.

Jack Stennett – Best ERISA Attorney

I talked to a few different attorneys before I retained Jack Stennett for an ERISA Long Term Disability case. I selected Jack because he was well respected, an expert in this area, and he seemed like he really cared and understood what a difficult time this is for a person. For any attorney, this is their job, but for us going through it, this is our life. He understood that, which I greatly appreciated. He was very responsive to calls and emails, as well.

Stennett Review (ERISA Insurance Long Term Disability Case)

Jack represented me on a long term disability ERISA claim and was not only very knowledgable of ERISA claims and the process but was well known and respected by the the defendants attorney and also the judge on the case. Jack kept me informed as to the process and always provided advance copies of any legal documents prior to their submittal. Jack helped us to reach an acceptable settlement agreement. I would not hesitate in recommending Jack. I felt very comfortable with Jack and trusted his advice and recommendations.

Indispensable insurance lawyer

Barbara is awesome. I had to defend an auto liability suit which could have gone over $500K. The problem is that my insurance limit was only $250K. Barbara successfully guided my negotiation with my insurance company to extend the limit in case we lost the suit. Otherwise, I’d potentially have to pay a lot out of pocket. She’s also very responsive and explained every step to me.

Happy with our result

Barbara is awesome. I had to defend an auto liability suit which could have gone over $500K. The problem is that my insurance limit was only $250K. Barbara successfully guided my negotiation with my insurance company to extend the limit in case we lost the suit. Otherwise, I’d potentially have to pay a lot out of pocket. She’s also very responsive and explained every step to me.

Above and Beyond

I would recommend Barbara Casino without hesitation. She has truly been an advocate by fighting for me when I was too sick to fight. The medical condition which left me disabled and unable to work required a great deal of research, fact finding and legal expertise. Barbara took the reins and fought for my legal benefits allowing me to focus on fighting my illness. She is hard working, confident and well versed in the law and goes above and beyond to get the job done. Thank you Barbara!

Tricky Trust and Probate Case

When my Brother passed I was left with some Trust and Probate issues that required legal counsel. Jack (John) took it on and stayed with it until everything was resolved. He worked hard and is an ethical man of high integrity. I would recommend him to anyone in need of legal services. He always kept me informed of progress and gave me choices in courses of action carefully explaining the possible risks versus the possible outcomes.

Barbara Casino Excellent

Barbara Casino was an excellent lawyer to work with. She accomplished all of our goals in a timely manner, which can be a challenge with legal matters!